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Paul of Dune

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Dune: The Butlerian Jihad

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We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

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Foundation

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On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all.

The Jesus Incident: The Pandora Sequence, Book 1

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Ready Player One

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The Hobbit

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Volume I: The King of the Elves

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The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger

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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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I, Robot

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2001: A Space Odyssey

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Children of Time

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Neuromancer

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Norse Mythology

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Publisher's Summary

The sand-blasted world of Arrakis has become green, watered, and fertile. Old Paul Atreides, who led the desert Fremen to political and religious domination of the galaxy, is gone. But for the children of Dune, the very blossoming of their land contains the seeds of its own destruction. The altered climate is destroying the giant sandworms, and this in turn is disastrous for the planet's economy. Leto and Ghanima, Paul Atreides's twin children and his heirs, can see possible solutions - but fanatics begin to challenge the rule of the all-powerful Atreides empire, and more than economic disaster threatens.

What the Critics Say

"Ranging from palace intrigue and desert chases to religious speculation and confrontations with the supreme intelligence of the universe, there is something here for all science fiction fans." (Publishers Weekly)"A major event." (Los Angeles Times)

So the producers seem to have completely given up on the entire dramatization thing that they were doing in the first book of this series, Dune (see my review there). Simon Vance does a good job of narrating this story, but towards the end of the book it becomes very clear that he wasn't available to do some re-dos and missed text. So they end up getting some random guy to finish the project. Its actually the case that sometimes one word in a sentence is dubbed in by this other narrator. Bothersome.
The story in and of itself is good, not as good as Dune, but certainly worth listening to or reading. My only critique is that Herbert sometimes goes on far too long about relatively minor issues or expanding upon points that were made well enough earlier in the text.

As I run through Frank Herbert's original Dune stories, I think the best adjective for the flavor and pace is "operatic"...a good story with great color and flavor, but paced slowly. Much of the book is spent with people talking about what will before much of anything does happen. That doesn't mean it's boring...understanding the motives and machinations of the principals really are the story, but it's an unusual flavor for sci-fi.

For those who are not familiar with the previous works, this won't make sense. You need to do them in order.

This story centers around Leto II and Ghanima Atriedes (the children of Paul Muad'Dib and imperial heirs presumptive, now aged 9), Alia (their aunt and imperial regent) and the Lady Jessica (mother of Alia and Paul). Alia is struggling against the inner voices from her ancestral memory, while Leto and Ghanima try to avoid the same fate. The mysterious, blind Preacher only adds to the mystery.

Part of the vast Duniverse tapestry, Children of Dune doesn't live up to the high standard of the original Dune (few books by any author do), but improves on Dune Messiah.

Scott Brick and Simon Vance do a remarkable job bringing the characters and places to life in the Dune series. It has been a while since I have read "Children" and I am impressed with the layers of the Dune world that Herbert describes. I hope Audible continues to translate the original series into the audible format. My second favorite book after "Dune" is the "God Emperor," so I hope the trend continues. "Children" is an enjoyable listen for fans of Herbert.

If you're a big fan of Dune, don't hesitate to get the audiobooks. It really adds a whole new level of understanding to the storyline and paints a picture that reading a paper copy alone won't do. I've read the physical copies of the entire series and now listened to the first three. It's truly the best way to solidify the incredible experience that is Frank Herbert's masterpiece.

As is the case with all of the Dune texts I&#8217;ve read, this one stuns in its capacity to tell a compelling story while using challenging language that asks the reader to think. There&#8217;s something to be said for simple and imaginative books such as Harry Potter and for series like the Enders Game series, which was compelling and inventive and yet scattered, because of Orson Scott Card&#8217;s self-professed carelessness in sketching out his fictive worlds. Yet there is something more profound about Herbert&#8217;s works, which hint that the author was a bit of a madman and a genius. His worlds are brilliantly demarcated, consistent, and inventive. In this book&#8212;which is fabulously narrated&#8212;we see the consequences of some of the actions taken by our favorite characters from Dune. As with all of the books in the series, it is interesting to read Herbert&#8217;s philosophical science fiction, which often challenges us to think through murky moral territory and imagine what actions we&#8217;d take in a similar universe. It is also fascinating to read about a fictive world with concerns that are so different from our own, while still resonating with our political situation (such as how water and spice is used and consumed, and the parallels in our world of water rights and the sale of drugs and weapons).

I have all the books in this series and have had them for many years, if your in to sci-fi then you can't go wrong.
I must have read this book 10 or more times over the years and never get board of it.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Richard

United Kingdom

6/19/12

Overall

"A different experience"

Dune is possibly my favourite book of all time and opened my eyes to many things completely unexpectedly. The Dune saga is something I have read over and over. Listening to Children of Dune was actually a completely new experience of the text for me and I think I absorbed so much more than reading it by hand that I feel I've almost read a different book with a different thrust and am happy to have done so as some side characters seemed to jump into the limelight when before I had almost glossed over them and the following novel has a new gravitas for me that it didn't before.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

King Nothing

6/8/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Rambling at times but a worthwhile listen"

The series continues its downward trend with this book. Definitely interesting, with some fascinating chapters but the narrative is rambling at times and hard to follow. Not as engrossing as the first two books and I'm not happy with all the character paths. Feels like all the characters are only capable of two emotions: fear and anger. Strangely, though I would definitely recommend it as a read as it closes off the story. Good that it has the same narrater as the first two books too.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Peter

Beulah, United Kingdom

6/10/09

Overall

"Slightly Bizarre but will read #4."

I loved the first two books, but this one made me wonder if Frank had lost the plot a little. It has the usual great machinations of state and family along with some decent action, but in what must have been the last hundred pages, the plot takes a turn, which I will not spoil here, that reveals to some part the destiny of Leto, the child of Paul Atreides. For me, the revelation seemed slightly ridiculous and not in keeping with the previous two books universe. Despite this, it is as well read as ever and the story kept me interested enough to move on to the fourth in the series.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Samantha Clarke

5/10/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"just too good!!!"

i love it. fabulous read. 2nd time for me. highly recommend. long live the benegesurates!!!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Marwan Imam

7/18/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"Fantastic"

I was a bit let down by the second book in the series but this one just blew me out the water. The story is great and I love how the world is evolving more and more.

The audio book performance is on point as usual.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Daniel M

scotland uk

5/27/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"ace"

really enjoyed the book as it wraps up many storylines from the original book. also makes me tempted to try another from the samr series

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Richard

Sowerby Bridge, United Kingdom

12/1/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Not on the level of the first, but a strong plot"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to a friend, who had read the first two Dune books. If only to find out what happens to some of the key characters. It's also acted out beautifully, if a little disjointed in parts.

What did you like best about this story?

I love how the story ties certain elements from the previous books up.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick and Simon Vance – was your favourite?

I think the preacher was my favourite, very mysterious.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

One of the twins has to make a sacrifice quite early on, that was quite a moving scene.

Any additional comments?

Overall, I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. It's strange (and uncomfortable) at times following the young twins stories, given their nature.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Alex

6/7/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"The True Dune Sequel"

Whereas Dune Messiah felt as though a bridge between works, there is no doubting that Children of Dune is the fully fledged continuation of the story that made the original Dune so mesmerising.

That is not to say that you can skip Dune Messiah, as important plot points are first revealed in that ever so short effort, and a read worth its time. No, instead Children of Dune expands and envelopes in ways I would not have predicted.

I will not spoil any of the plot as the twists and turns are what make the story so great. Only that it involves certain Fremen children of Arrakis and their plots to create a Golden Path for all humanity.

The book is excellently written. Feeling, as with the original, as just a small glimpse of a perfectly realised universe. The complexities however never get too foreboding as the story tends to focus on the important and the specific allowing the reader to enjoy the myriad, rather than sit and ponder who is who.

If this had been the final book in the Dune series it would have been a fitting conclusion, and if you wish it to be, it could easily be the end of your journey. It does however set the next trilogy up beautifully and I can't wait to begin.

Unlike Dune Messiah the voice acting is superb.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Jarreck Dilynda

Up North, England

5/18/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"The awkward midway poin"

If you could sum up Children of Dune in three words, what would they be?

Very trying indeed

Would you be willing to try another book from Frank Herbert? Why or why not?

Yes I am continuing with the series

Any additional comments?

The first two books in the series flew by but this one was a struggle and like 'Empire Strikes Back' sets the scene for 'Return of The Jedi', - 'Children of Dune' sets the scene for the following instalments. I found it very hard going in places (although I understand the story needs to be spun and background need to be founded so from that viewpoint an excellent work)

For me this was an obstacle that needed to be hurdled in order to get to the finish line. Not a bad book by any means but after the frantic pace of the previous ones this becomes much more about laying foundations, political alliances, old loyalties, new possibilities and new threads - I wouldn't recommend reading it as a stand alone book as this would probably confuse the living daylights out of you, you really need to have read the previous ones for this one.

Don't be put off at all, the 'Dune' series is wonderful as a whole but please read the previous ones before diving into this one.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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